NEWS/ROTUNDA task of speaking about something so personal in such a public fashion. 9 “Tell your story,” Hansen said, calming the gathering. “Try to end in a supportive way. Say, ‘I’m here to keep this,’ instead of ‘Don’t cut this.’” Hansen brought reinforcements. Former legislators Robbie Barrutia, Kathy Garrett, and Jim Hansen (Hansen’s brother) offered tips to speakers-in-the-making. “Define what your ‘ask’ is,” said Garrett. “Tell them that this is an excellent investment,” said Jim Hansen. “Tell them what is was like before these services existed,” said Barrutia. “Let me tell you what it was like,” jumped in Hansen. “Anyone here remember what it was like in the 1960s?” A few hands went up. “Then you know what I’m talking about,” she said. “A thousand people in the state hospital. People with disabilities died too soon. And those that survived were heavily medicated.” Fawn Bell and Juanita Allen remember it well. They’re caregivers for their older sister, 68-year-old Barbara Allen. “Barbara is M.R.D.D.,” said Bell. “That’s mentally retarded with a developmental disability. Thank God we take care of her at home now. When she was in a facility, she was over-medicated. Because of existing services, we can take care of her now.” Those are the exact services that are being threatened. “You’ll be hearing a lot about certified family health providers on Friday,” said Hansen. “Let me tell you about some of them.” She said she held a letter from a family living outside of Burley. “Their son, Eric has a developmental disability,” said Hansen. “They get paid $54 a day to care for Eric. But he’s doing well now. He’s able to work part time and even serves as a volunteer. Eric can learn. He can continue to become more independent. But they’re looking at cutting his services. Eric’s mother wants to ask lawmakers if they ever get to a point where they don’t need to learn anymore. Just because Eric has a disability, we’re saying he can’t continue to learn and develop. At what age do we ask that a person is not valued?” Parents and caregivers want lawmakers to ask the big question: Is this not worth raising taxes for? “And we wouldn’t want the dedicated revenue just disappearing into the general fund,” said Barrutia. “I think there’s a great opportunity to possibly raise the tax on cigarettes. A $1.25 bump in cigarette taxes could raise $50 million. And we could put that in a dedicated fund for health.” “Don’t these lawmakers see what’s at stake?” asked Bell. “Of course they see it,“ answered Garrett. “They just don’t know what to do.” Garrett said the issue is not about politics. It never has been. “I was a Republican lawmaker,” said Garrett. “I’m still a conservative. But that doesn’t take away my heart and compassion.” Hansen said she expects a lot of heart, compassion and even tears at Friday’s hearing. She’ll be there early. Garrett said she expected to wake about 5 a.m. after dreaming more about the number 25,000. — George Prentice
10 | JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2011 | BOISEweekly
NEWS
CO-OP DETENTE Conflict cools at Boise Co-op board meeting TARA MORGAN A sizable crowd lingered outside St. John’s Parish Hall Jan. 24, anxiously awaiting the start of a Boise Co-op meeting called by recently fired manager Ken Kavanagh. Words like “rumors,” “answers” and “innuendo” hung thick in the evening air. But once the crowd pushed through the church’s double doors and settled into the basement’s limited chairs, co-op board member David Eberle made something very clear: “This is a board meeting not a member meeting.” Though Kavanagh originally hoped for a member vote Monday night to reverse the board’s contentious decision to fire him, the board insisted that the meeting conflicted with co-op bylaws and, therefore, no vote would be allowed. The objective of the meeting, Eberle noted, was to update members on the current state of the co-op and allow them to voice concerns about the grocery store’s future without Kavanagh. “Gary Lyons was appointed … to help guide the co-op through the transition until we can complete a new management structure for the co-op … it was a decision that we did not take lightly,” said Eberle. Kavanagh, who was in a conference with lawyers and two of the six co-op board members during the first part of the meeting, entered the room to issue a statement. “We came to a monetary agreement,” said Kavanagh. “I don’t necessarily understand the ‘new direction’ of the co-op. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the old direction. I want to thank everyone who has supported me. Somebody compared it to being at your own funeral.” Pat Haas, acting chair of the co-op board, also gave a statement. “We and Ken have entered into an agreement that basically settles our differences and legal disputes and the details of that agreement are, of course, confidential … We can say that there will be a change of leadership going forward and that Ken has agreed not to contest that decision … the recent decisions about the change of leadership … had absolutely nothing to do with Ken’s DUI in 2009 or the recent probation violations.” Interim co-op manager Lyons met with co-op employees in the weeks after Kavanagh’s termination and has assessed a number of areas where the store needs improvement. “I have learned that we lack basic business controls. For example, we lack clear job descriptions, goal setting and performance evaluations. As a result we have employees that are confused, scared and working in an environment where misconceptions, rumors and gossip take place,” said Lyons. He continued: “Customer feedback is clear … there are too many products out of stock, our pricing policies need to be reviewed, our store is crowded—which is a
good thing—and the parking lot seems to be crowded all the time.” But lurking under the surface of Lyons’ talk of improvement was the evening’s elephant in the room: Whole Foods. Once the floor opened to members, most voiced concerns that the natural foods chain will threaten the co-op when it opens a Boise location if changes aren’t made quickly. “You’re going to get competition soon, and it’s coming in other places besides Whole Foods,” said Lois Morgan, a co-op member since 1982. “I want to support you. I want to give my money to you. I want to eat healthily, so I need to feel some loyalty to you. I get more friendliness at Fred Meyer sometimes than I do at the co-op.” Josie Erskine, co-owner of Peaceful Belly Farms, also uttered fears about the future. “No one is going to support Peaceful Belly the way that the co-op has. Whole Foods won’t. Fred Meyer won’t. Walmart won’t,” said Erskine. “I love the co-op and really truly hope it does stay loyal to the small farmers because we’re dependent upon them.” Lyons tried to assuage concerns about competition from Whole Foods by illuminating the co-op’s relative strengths. “We don’t want to look like Whole Foods, and we don’t want to smell like Whole Foods. We will compete on the values, on [our] abilities or uniqueness or quirkiness—whatever you want to call it,” said Lyons. Many at the meeting also wanted to proclaim their support for Kavanagh. One member called the “public lambasting” of Kavanagh’s character in the blogosphere “criminal and offensive to me as a human being,” while musician and former co-op employee Brett Netson expressed his disgust with the way Kavanagh was fired. “This is just shameful, regardless of what Ken did or didn’t do … I just want the employees that are here to keep that in mind. What is the board of directors going to do the next time your employment needs to be terminated? I was fired from the co-op for real reasons. I left the keys in front door,” said Netson, to much laughter. “I’m not shopping at the co-op. I’m done.” But impassioned speeches aside, Christine King, a co-op member for 20 years, seemed to sum up the meeting most eloquently. “I considered Ken a friend, but when I knew Whole Foods was coming, I knew things were going to change … If we want the co-op to be the co-op, we’ve got to change with it,” she said. The co-op board explained that it will continue to review managerial candidates but can’t specify a date for when Kavanagh’s successor will take the reins. WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M